Modern Combat 5 for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8/8.1

Gameloft this week released the next installment in its Call of Duty-like Modern Combat series for mobile devices. That's no surprise, of course. But there's some good news for Windows users, in particular. Modern Combat 5: Blackout is available for both Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8/8.1, and was made so simultaneously with the release on other platforms, which is a first. And better still, you only have to buy it once: If you get the game on Windows, you own it on Phone too, and vice versa.

A couple of notes about what should be a fairly obvious development. Some good, some bad.

Modern Combat 5 is the first game in this series to ship on both Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x. Modern Combat 4 was made available on Windows Phone 8+ only. The series originated on iOS, as a way to bring a Call of Duty-type shooter to that touch-based mobile platform. I find the game controls on touch-based shooters to be difficult to use, but they're obviously popular.

The game costs $6.99, just like its predecessor. That's a lot of money, but if you do use both Windows 8.x (including the ARM-based Windows RT 8.1) and Windows Phone 8.x, you only have to pay once, as Modern Combat 5: Blackout is cross-licensed across both Windows platforms. (It's not a "real" universal app. But if buy it once you own it on both platforms.) Further justifying the cost, Modern Combat 5: Blackout is a pretty serious game, with different player classes, online multiplayer matches, story and spec-ops missions and a high-end user experience. This isn't a sad little endlessly scrolling mobile game. It's a big production.

The game-maker says that Modern Combat 5: Blackout "requires" an Internet connection. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but when you launch the game it notes that it downloads data as you play.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout also says it requires a "touch input device." I assume that means there's no way to control it on a traditional PC—i.e. with keyboard and mouse—which seems like an odd limitation in a modern game. But I had received some questions about whether this title supported an Xbox controller on Windows. That would be amazing, and I do hope it happens, but I don't see any evidence of that yet. (You can play Halo: Spartan Assault with a controller, for example, not to mention keyboard and mouse.) UPDATE: This game does work with the keyboard or an Xbox game controller. The choices are well-hidden under Settings, Controls. --Paul

The game does support subtitles, which is appreciated. They're even on by default.

Unlike Modern Combat 4, Modern Combat 5 is not an Xbox title. So there are no achievements on either platform. It's a big game (around 800 MB on both platforms) and doesn't appear to run on 512 MB devices on Windows Phone (i.e. requires 1 GB of RAM).

I haven't gotten too far into this yet, but I did get it installed on both a Surface Pro 3 and Nokia Lumia 1520, so I'll try to get some time in over the weekend. In the meantime, let me know if you know more about the Internet connection and controller issues. I'm curious.

It is expensive for a mobile game. The question is, is it worth it? I'll be interesting to see what you think. A little off topic, The Harvist is still $6.99 even after all these years. How is that? Microsoft just forgot to lower the price?

There are tons of games that are $6, $7, $8, and even more on the Windows Store right now. And most don't require paying anything more. Yet if you look at the "Top Grossing" category of games, EVERY SINGLE ONE is listed as "Free" even though you can't realistically beat them without paying. NONE of them are ones that cost anywhere from $1-15. So called "Free-to-play" games are the biggest competitor to sub-$10 mobile games. This is the new normal.

Then you have new full-priced console games that ALSO have "micro"-transactions like Forza 4:

I can confirm that MC 5 supports touch, keyboard and mouse and yes even an Xbox 360 controller. Being a PC gamer, keyboard and mouse I find are the most enjoyable. I've tried this on my Asus VivoTab Note 8 BayTrail tablet with touch and the experience is poor, bad performance and I just can't deal with touch controls in a FPS.

MC 5 certainly isn't a groundbreaking game, it's a vanilla FPS, but if you're like me and love shooters, $7 on a PC is not bad. The graphics certainly aren't AAA class for a PC but not bad.

I was all set to buy the game and play on my desktop pc until I read that a touchscreen is required. Being I don't have a touch screen (and don't want one) this is a deal breaker for me. Hopefully mouse and keyboard controls will be available in the near future.

If the reviewer had even taken the time to go into settings and scroll through the 5 different control settings he would have seen that a keyboard and mouse and controller are both supported. This makes me think he has only looked at what other sites have put up and dose not actually have the game. I don't see how someone who has the game would have missed that seeing as its front and center on the settings screen. So dont worry all, whatever control method you prefer is supported with a tutorial customized to you selected control scheme during the first level. Enjoy!
P.S. I actually Own the game unlike the reviewer.

Second: This isn't a review. I just installed the thing and I'm under no obligation to fully play through the game before writing about it. I figured people wanted to know this was out, and I shared a number of details that I didn't read anywhere, find out from the game maker or whatever. I do try to add value.

Third, and most laughably, I actually did look through settings to see if this would work. The image of a game controller on the Controls menu gave me a moment of hope. But in the actual setting for that, there is nothing indicating that an Xbox controller works. Looking at it again, I can see why I missed it: It's hidden under what looks like a selection of touchscreen control choices ... and I had in fact looked at the first few of those. (Gamepad is the last one.) But this, coupled with the game maker's assertion that it "requires" a touch input device ... well, someone polite and reasonable would simply understand what led me to believe this wouldn't work.

I'm glad the controller works. I'd be even happier if someone didn't jump down my throat for nothing. The post is fixed easily enough.

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